Minor party lines mostly absent in 22nd Congressional race

The New York 22nd Congressional District will have a conspicuous absence of minor party lines on the ballot this fall.

The Conservative and Working Families parties — which have candidates in most other federal races across the state — will not have a horse in the race.

By Dan Miner

The Telegram

By Dan Miner

Posted Jun. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 1, 2012 at 1:00 AM

By Dan Miner

Posted Jun. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 1, 2012 at 1:00 AM

Utica, N.Y.

The New York 22nd Congressional District will have a conspicuous absence of minor party lines on the ballot this fall.

The Conservative and Working Families parties — which have candidates in most other federal races across the state — will not have a horse in the race.

“It produces a lower level of intensity in a campaign because oftentimes those parties generate a lot of intensity,” said John Zogby, a Utica-based pollster. “The Working Families and Conservative parties are ideological and they rev up the ideological base.”

The Independence Party is the only minor party with a line on the ballot. It endorsed Richard Hanna, the Republican incumbent from Barneveld.

Hanna faces Mike Kicinski, a Tea Party member from Earlville, in the Republican primary on June 26.

Dryden resident Dan Lamb is the Democratic candidate. Lamb was endorsed by the Working Families party, but a paperwork error will deny him the line.

The 22nd District is newly drawn and extends from Oneida County to Binghamton.

Hanna currently represents the 24th District.

How much will a lack of minor party lines matter?

Zogby said the demographics of the race are “intriguing.” Hanna received 10,313 votes on the Conservative line when he defeated Michael Arcuri, a Democrat, in 2010 — which nearly was the voting difference in the race.

But regardless of the eventual GOP candidate, those voters are unlikely to vote for a Democrat, Zogby said.

In Arcuri’s successful 2008 campaign, he received 9,454 votes on the Working Families line.

Those are the kinds of numbers that can sway a race, experts say.

“Certainly, (minor parties) have made a difference in certain victories,” Zogby said. “They’ve been very important locally.”

Appearance on minor party lines are authorized by the actual party, said John Conklin, state Board of Elections spokesman. Candidates can force a primary against an endorsed candidate if they collect enough petitions, but the challenger would then only be eligible as a write-in vote.

Later in the summer, those interested in running will be eligible to file petitions for independent lines they create. They must collect 3,500 signatures and file between Aug. 14 and 21.

Hanna was endorsed in 2008 and 2010 by the Conservative Party, but after meetings with party leaders and state Chairman Michael Long, the party decided against another endorsement.

“Richard’s voting record was not something the party could support,” said Julie Miller, Oneida County Conservative Party chairwoman.

The American Conservative Union, which rates each congressional member’s voting record against Conservative values, has Hanna as the lowest-rated Republican in the House.

Miller was a candidate briefly after she filed petitions to keep the option open of a late endorsement, but she then declined the line.

Late in the process, Long also met with Kicinski, Miller said. The endorsement was withheld because of concerns about organization, experience and fundraising, not his views, she said.

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Kicinski has expressed frustration that he didn’t receive the Conservative nod but believes voters will respond to the fact that Hanna lost the endorsement.

“It’s very clear he does not meet the standards and values of the Conservative Party, which are very close to those of the Republican Party,” Kicinski said. “Richard Hanna is not a Conservative. He’s not a Republican.”

A Hanna spokeswoman in a statement said the congressman is “grateful for the grassroots support” of district Conservatives. “Richard Hanna looks forward to continuing to work with the party and all constituents to protect taxpayers, create jobs and effectively represent upstate interests in Washington,” spokeswoman Renee Gamela said.

By contrast, Lamb received the Working Families endorsement, but he failed to file an “acceptance” and thus will not appear on the line, Conklin said.

Lamb acknowledged the error but said he believed the endorsement was more important than simply appearing on the line. “I don’t think it’s going to matter,” Lamb said. “When folks hear my message … they’re going to go to the polls and vote for Dan Lamb on the Democratic line.”